


The Distance Between Friends

by VampirePaladin



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon (Anime)
Genre: 1990s, Canon - Anime, Canonical Character Death, Gen, POV First Person, Past Character Death, Sailor Moon R, Secret Identity, Strained Friendships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-03
Updated: 2015-07-03
Packaged: 2018-04-07 10:08:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4259343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VampirePaladin/pseuds/VampirePaladin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Naru sees the distance between herself and Usagi.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Distance Between Friends

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SaraJaye](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraJaye/gifts).



My name is Osaka Naru. I’m fourteen years old. I get average grades and I dream of falling in love. My parents are divorced and my little sister lives with Dad. Tsukino Usagi is my best friend.

Usagi is the real star. I’m just a background player in everything. Still, I do my best to support her even when I see her walking off with Mizuno Ami and Kino Makoto, leaving me behind. 

“Usagi,” I call out, “are you busy today?”

Usagi glances at Ami and Makoto. She’s trying not to make it too obvious. Ami gives a short shake of her head with her lips curled down at the edges. Makoto stands there were her arms crossed.

“Yeah, I’m free today.”

“Usagi,” Makoto says with a sigh.

“But it’s Naru.”

“Usagi, you don’t want Rei to get mad at you again,” Ami said.

Usagi sighed and said, “Sorry, Naru, maybe some other time.”

I try to smile. I think I do a pretty good job of it too.

“It’s alright. Maybe some other time then?”

Usagi brightens up and nods her head enthusiastically. “Yes, next time we will do something together.”

Usagi leaves with Ami and Makoto. I’m still standing at the school gates. I could have asked to come with them but the distance between us seems to have grown to infinity. Instead I turn to make the long walk home.

 

I open the door to a dark apartment. Momma is overseas purchasing new jewelry for her shop. I have everything all to myself. I was given the option of staying with Dad and Naruru while Mom was gone, but I told them I’d rather stay here since it is closer to my school.

Stepping inside and shutting the door behind me, I take off my shoes and replace them with slippers. I drop my schoolbag by the door. I grab a glass of water from the kitchen before heading to my bedroom. I set the glass down on the table next to my bed before I get changed from my school uniform and into my casual clothing. Getting down on my hands and knees, I reach under the bed and pull out a box.

Inside of the box were newspaper clippings, a folded up map of the city, notebook full of my own notes, and photocopies of pages from various books and older articles. There were even a few things that were out from the internet, Umino had helped with those. I collected each and every one of them. They were about Sailor V, Sailor Moon and the other similarly named heroines that had shown up in the Tokyo area. I take everything out of the box and spread it across my bedroom floor.

There was a clear order that the girls had appeared in with Sailor V being first and Sailor Venus being last. When I put them side by side it seemed obvious that they were the same girl. It was odd, I could look at the photos of the two and could clearly tell that they were the same person, but if I looked away the details of their appearances would slip away from my mind like melted butter in a sieve. 

As near as I can tell, Sailor Moon’s first every appearance was at my mother’s shop. I had taken the security footage from the store. There were some particularly good images of Sailor Moon’s face after she started crying. All the others that appeared after Sailor Moon seemed to be joining together with her.

The first confirmed sighting of Sailors Mercury and Mars was at Dream Land. There were conflicting stories about them appearing earlier. Some felt that Sailor Mercury came first and others thought that Mars did. A small minority of people thought they appeared at the same time.

Sailor Jupiter was unambiguously the fourth one to appear. She had made her first appearance right after… Right after Nephrite was killed. No, it was right after Nephrite was murdered. She was noticeably taller than everyone else. There weren’t many girls that could match her stature.

Last of all was Tuxedo Mask. The only male in the group. He appeared before Sailor Moon, but after Sailor V. He sometimes appeared separately but more often than not he appeared with Sailor Moon. He wore a mask and unlike the others his feature didn’t seem to slip from my mind. 

I read and reread everything. I look over my notes and jot down a few additional ones. I have long felt a connection with all of these incidents, but I always felt like it was just beyond my reach. 

I pick up my glass of water and take a big sip before setting it back down again.

Starring at my records isn’t going to change anything. I’ve done it every day for the past week. No, it was time for me to go out and look for more information and maybe pick up something for dinner.

 

It really didn’t take long for me to find trouble. Monster attacks always did seem to happen around me anyways. It was a gas station. I had gone inside the convenience store to pick up a dinner for tonight. I remember looking outside and seeing a little girl with some type of cat shaped ball. Before I knew it a monster had shown up and grabbed the girl. There was a bright flash of light.

I took this moment to duck behind a cooler full of ice cream. I wish I had brought my camera with me. Sailor Moon or one of her allies would definitely show up any moment now. I crawled forward, getting closer to the doors. I peeked out the glass doors right as I saw someone run into the gas station.

It wasn’t Sailor Moon, but she did have a very similar hair style. 

I wanted to get up, scream at Usagi to run, and get us both out of here. My shaking legs wouldn’t move. I breathed in but the only thing that came out was more air and a whimper of noise. 

Usagi raised her hand into the air and the piece that had been missing clicked into place. It was something I had known in my heart for a long time, maybe even from the beginning, but I didn’t want to admit it. I couldn’t admit it. How could I? 

The monster had Usagi,no, the monster had Sailor Moon wrapped in something that looked like the hoses from a gas pump. 

Wasn’t this supposed to be where Tuxedo Mask or one of the others was supposed to jump in and save Sailor Moon? I waited and no one came. I thought it was minutes but my watch said it was only seconds, not even half a minute.

Sailor Moon wiggled and struggled but she wasn’t getting free. Liquid began pouring out of the ends of the hose. It was sort of yellow.

Gasoline.

It was going to burn Sailor Moon alive. It was going to kill Usagi.

All I could think of was when I had watched Nephrite die in front of me. It had hurt so much. It still hurt and that was just someone I had only known for a little while. This was someone that I had known for years and loved like a sister.

My legs stopped shaking.

I got into a crouch and pushed the door open. I opened it just enough to slide out. I moved behind a car parked in the spot right outside the door. I kept low as I moved around to the driver’s side door. 

The car door was ajar and a man was slumped forward in the driver’s seat. His energy was drained. I had seen it often enough to recognize it when I saw it. I pulled him out and onto the ground. I didn’t have time to be gentle. I took the keys from his hands and got in.

I didn’t have my license or anything, but it wasn’t like I never paid attention to my mother’s driving. I turned the key in the ignition, put it in drive, and then hit the gas. I only had to turn the wheel a little and I was rushing right at the monster.

It only had enough time to turn its head before the car hit it and then everything went white.

 

“Naru? Naru!” Usagi’s voice called to me.

“Usa…gi?” I opened my eyes. There was no sign of the little girl, no monster and no hint that Usagi had been anything but her normal self.

I was still in the car, there was some blood on the steering wheel. I must have hit my head.

“You’re a hero, Naru. You saved Sailor Moon.”

I put my arms around Usagi. I pull her close and hold her tight. I can’t stop the tears. I could have lost Usagi. 

“Naru, everything’s okay now. You’re safe. The monster is gone.” I could hear the confusion and worry in Usagi’s voice.

“Usagi, I know. I saw everything.”

“Naru, I-“

“Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone. Just please, don’t lie to me anymore. I’ll do anything I can to help you. I know I can’t transform like the others but I can help cover for your parents and help with homework.”

“I didn’t want to keep it a secret from you.” Usagi was starting to cry now. “I didn’t want you to be in anymore danger. I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you too!”

Together we clung to each other and cried.

**Author's Note:**

> While I didn't mention him much, I am assuming that Naru and Umino are dating. It just didn't seem to fit much to bring it up in this story. In my mind I could see Nephrite's death still with her even as she moves on with her life.


End file.
